Cigarette case and dispenser



' case and dispenser.

cigarette case and dispenser.

an'd'movable case unit as Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT orr cs Q 7 2,548,310 a CIGARETTE CASE AND DISPENSER Wendell W. Jennings, San Francisco, alif. Application August 27, 1948, Serial No. 46,438

' 1 This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a :novel table ordesk type cigarette Another object of the invention is to provide acase and dispenser, asabove, which is arranged to hold a plurality of cigarettes, and to dispense the same, .one at a time, upon a simple, one-hand manipulation of the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination cigarette case and dispenser which is compact, light weight and handy; the device thus being adapted for easy and convenient use. An additional object of the invention is to provide a combination cigarette case and dispenser which is designedfor ready and economical manufacture and assembly, particularly when the major parts are of plastic.

It is also an object of this invention to provide acombination cigarette case and dispenser which is neat, and attractive, in appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable combination cigarette case and dispenser, and one which will be eX-' ceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the combination Fig.2 is a sectional elevation of the same with the parts in normal position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view but shows the upper depressed to dispense a' cigarette. V I

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device, with the lid partially broken away.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the combination cigarette case and dispenser comprises "a box-like housing I, initially open at the top, and of somewhat elongated rectangular configuration in plan.

A case unit, indicated generally at 2, is engaged in the initially open-topped housing I for vertical reciprocation, with an easy but relatively close running fit.

- .The case unit 2 projects some distance above the housing I, and said case unit is normally in a relatively raised position, as in Figs. 1 and 2. The extent of raising movementof the case unit 1o Claims. (01. 312-77) row transversely.

of the normally raised case unit 2.

2 is limited by a guide boss 3 on each side of said case unit 2, running in a vertical groove or the housing I by side members ,5. I I 4 areof a length such as to permit the case unit 2 to be depressed from its normally raised position downwardly in the housing I to a point in engagement with the bottom of the latter.

The case unit 2 is separated, interna1ly, by a vertical, longitudinalpartition 6, into a'cigarette holding compartment of substantial transverse width, and a vertical passage 8 which is verynari- Both the cigarette holding compartment I and thevertical passage Bare'of a length, horizontally or longitudinally,slightly greater than the length of a cigarette 9; ,a quantity of'the latter being carried in said comparement I.

A lid I0 is provided, on the case unit2, for the top of the cigarette holding compartment 1; such lid being pivoted, as'at II, and normally'but releasably held in closedfrelation by detents I2.

At the bottom of the cigarette holding compartment I, the case unit 2 is formed witha transversely curved bottom I3, which inclines downwardly in the direction of the vertical passage 8; there being a horizontal, longitudinal slot I4 opening from thecompartment 1 into the vertical passage 8 at the bottom of the case unit 2, and throughthe partition 6, whereby the cigarettes 9 may feed, horizontally and at a time, from said compartment 1, in the passage 8.

Each cigarette, asit feeds through theslot I I, comes to rest atop arelatively narrow, normally horizontal swing platform I5, mounted,'as here? inafter described, in the housing I in .alinement with, and for upward swinging motion through, the vertical passage 8; said swing platform I5 being disposed in saidhousing I in a plane so that it normally blocks the bottom of passage 8 The relatively narrow, normally horizontal swing platform I5 includes, on the bottom, 'a 1ongitudinal web I6 pivotedadjacent but short of one end of said platform, as at H, between 'ears I8 which upstand from thebottom of the housing I; there being a spring I 9 which normal'lymaintains the swing platform I5 horizontal. At the end opposite the pivot H, the swing platform includes a depending ballle plate 20 which normally engages the bottom of the housing I and prevents swinging of said platform I5 below horizontal under the influence of the spring I9. This depending baflle plate 20 serves a further purpose, as will hereinafter appear.

A telescoping type compression spring 2! is engaged between the bottom of the housing and the bottom of the case unit 2, whereby to normal: 1y maintain the latter in its raised position; such spring being disposed so that it in no Way interferes with actuation and swinging of the platform I from its normal horizontal position, as in Fig. 2, to its upright cigaratte dispensing position, as in Fig. 3.

When the case unit 2 is in its normally raised position, a cigarette 9 has automatically fed through the slot l4 and come to rest on the swing platform [5; this being the cigarette to be dis pensed. The dispensing operation is accomplished as follows:

The user, holding the housing I in his hand, depresses the case unit 2 against the action of the spring 2 I; said case unit 2 lowering from .the full line position of Fig. 4 to the dotted line position therein. When this occurs, the adjacent portion of the lower edge of said case unit 2 strikes and depresses a lateral tongue 22 on the shortend of the swing platform 15, causing the latter to swing in an arcuate path upwardly through 'the'vertical passage 8 to an upstanding position, as in Fig. 3; the tongue then having turned 90 degrees and found its way into a slot 23 formed in the adjacent side of the case unit 2; such slot 23 having a rounded entry, for the tongue, as shown.

When the swing platform i5 is erected by depression of the case unit 2, the normally horizon- "tal cigarette on said platform is swung to an up- .right position, as in Fig. 3, at which time the cigarette projects upwardlyout of the case unit 2 through a throat 2B. A holding wedge W in said throat at the end where the then vertical cigarette comes to rest, grips said cigarette. As so gripped the cigarette remains in an upstanding, ready for removal position, even though, the case ,unit 22 maybe released to return to its normally raised position, with resultant lowering of the swingplatform l5 to horizontal.

The following arrangement is provided in order to-preventany cigarette 9 from passing through the slot I4, or jamming therein upon depression of the case unit 2 to dispense the cigarette which rests on the swing platform l5:

A pair of longitudinally spaced, upstanding 'bafiie plates-25 are mounted on the bottom of the housing I in position'to close the slot it upon depression of the case unit 2.

The baffle plates 25 serve the further purpose, upon depression of the case unit 2, of relatively advancing upward to engage or shift cigarettes in the bottom of compartment '5 adjacent the slot l4, whereby-to break up any cluster of said cigaretteswhich might otherwise tend to jam in said slot and prevent proper feeding of cigarettes 'therethrough.

The dependent baffle plate 20 on the long end of the swing platform l5 bafiles or shuts off one .end of the slot [4 immediately upon said platform beginning to rise, whereby to further assure of accidental escape of any cigarette from thecompartment I during a dispensing operation.

upwardly facing abutment Illa, upon which the lower end of each cigarette rests when it is swung upward to its vertical or dispensing position, as in Fig. 3. This prevents the dispensed cigarette from possibly falling back into the container before it is engaged or gripped by the holding wedge 25.

The above described combination cigarette case and dispenser being quite compact in structure and light in Weight provides a convenient and practical article for holding cigarettes on a table or desk; the cigarettes being dispensed from the device, one at a time, by a simple one-hand manipulation, which comprises merely the depression of the case unit 2 relatively into the housing 1.

The structure of the device is such that it can be manufactured readily and economically, and such device, when in use, works easily and smoothly.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. 1

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations fromsuch detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patents are desired: I

1. A combination-cigarette case and dispenser, comprising a housing, a normally raised manually depressible case unit mounted in connection with the housing, said case unit-being divided internally into a cigarette holding compartment and a vertical passage, there being a cigarette dispensing openin at the top of the case unit in communication with the vertical passage'cigarettes in the chamber tending to feed one at a time into the vertical passage, mechanism operative to'feed a cigarette from the vertical passage into said opening, means responsive to manual depression of the case unit operative to cause actuation of said mechanism; said mechanism including a normally horizontal, longitudinal swing platform normally at the bottom of the vertical passage, and each cigarette fed from the compartment initially resting lengthwise on said platform; the swing platform being pivoted adjacent but short of one end for upward, cigarette dispensing motion, and means operable through vertical movement of the case to engage the short end of the swing platform and swing the platform whereby to tilt the cigarette through the opening.

2. A cigarette case and dispenser, as in jclaim l, in which the last named means includes an ele ment on the short end of the swing platform in the path of depression of the case unit.

3. A combination cigarette case and dispenser comprising an initially open topped housing, a normally spring raised, manually depressible case unit slidably engaged in the housing from above, a vertical, longitudinal partition in the case unit forming a compartment for a plurality of cigarettes and, to one side, a relatively narrow vertical passage open at the top of the case unit to provide a cigarette dispensing opening, the compartment and said passage being of a length to receive cigarettes horizontally, there being a longitudinal passage through the partition at the bottom thereof whereby cigarettes feed one at a time into the vertical passage in a horizontal position, a

relatively narrow platform mounted in the housing for motion through the vertical passage from a normal horizontal position at the bottom thereof, each cigarette fed into said vertical passage resting longitudinally on the platform, and means responsive to manual depression of the case unit operative to move the platform through said vertical passage to feed the supported cigarette into said dispensing opening.

4. A combination cigarette case and dispenser comprising an initially open topped housing, a normally spring raised, manually depressible case unit slidably engaged in th housing from above, a vertical, longitudinal partition in the case unit forming a compartment for a plurality of cigarettes and, to one side, a relatively narrow vertical passage open at the top of the case unit to provide a cigarette dispensing opening, the compartment and said passage being of a length to receive cigarettes horizontally, there being a longitudinal passage through the partition at the bottom thereof whereby cigarettes feed one at a time into the vertical passage in a horizontal position, a relatively narrow platform pivoted in connection with the housing adjacent but short of one end of said platform for upward swinging motion through the vertical passage from a normally horizontal position at the bottom thereof, each cigarette fed into said vertical passage resting longitudinally 0n the platform, and means responsiv to manual depression of the case unit operative to swing the platform through the vertical passage to an upstanding position whereby to project the supported cigarette into said opening in a correspondin position.

5. A combination cigarette case and dispenser comprising an initially open topped housing, a normally spring raised, manually depressible case unit slidably engaged in the housing from above, a vertical, longitudinal partition in the case unit forming a compartment for a plurality of cigarettes and, to one side, a relatively narrow vertical passage open at the top of the case unit to provide a cigarette dispensing opening, the compartment and said passage being of a length to receive cigarettes horizontally, there being a longitudinal passage through the partition at the bottom thereof whereby cigarettes feed one at a time into the vertical passage in a horizontal position, a relatively narrow platform pivoted in connection with the housing adjacent but short of one end of said platform for upward swinging motion through the vertical passag from a normally horizontal position at the bottom thereof, each cigarette fed into said vertical passage resting longitudinally on the platform, and means responsive to manual depression of the case unit operative to swing the platform through the vertical passage to an upstanding position whereby to project the supported cigarette into said opening in a corresponding position; ther being means to frictionally engage the cigarette, and hold it in said last named position upon return of the platform to its normal horizontal position.

6. A combination cigarette case and dispenser comprising an initially open topped housing, a normally spring raised, manually depressible case unit slidably engaged in the housing from above, a vertical, longitudinal partition in the case unit forming a compartment for aplurality of cigarettes and, to on side, a relatively narrow vertical passage open at the top of the case unit to provide a cigarette dispensing opening, the compartment and said passage being of a length to receive cigarettes horizontally, there being a longitudinal passage through the partition at the bottom thereof whereby cigarettes fed one at a time into the vertical passagev in a horizontal position, a, relatively narrow platform pivoted in connection with the housing adjacent but short of one end of said platform for upward swinging motion through the vertical passage from a normally horizontal position at the bottom thereof, each cigarette fed into said vertical passage resting longitudinally on the platform, and a lateral tongue on the short end portion of the platform in position for engagement and lowering by the case unit upon depression thereof so as to swing th platform through the vertical passage to an upstanding position whereby to project the supported cigarette into said opening in a corresponding position.

7. A cigarette case and dispenser, as in claim 3, including bafile means automatically operative to close the longitudinal passage between the compartment and vertical passage upon depression of th case unit, and resultant upward motion of the platform.

8.. A cigarette case and dispenser, as in claim 3, including baiile means automatically operative to block the longitudinal passage between the com partment and vertical passage upon depression of the case unit, and resultant upward motion of the platform; said baffle means being in part upstanding from the bottom of the housing.

9. A cigarette case and dispenser, as in claim 3, including baifle means automatically operative to block the longitudinal passage between the compartment and vertical passage upon depression of the case unit, and resultant upward motion of the platform; said baffle means being in part upstanding from the bottom of the housing, and in part on and moving with the platform.

10. A combination cigarette case and dispenser, as in claim 3, including baffle means automatically operative to block the longitudinal passage between the compartment and the vertical passage upon depression of the case unit; said baflle means, when in passage blocking position, engaging and acting, to break up any cluster or jam of cigarettes adjacent said longitudinal passage- WENDELL W. JENNINGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,135,133 Pacheco Apr. 13, 1915 1,293,153 Mandzuk Feb. 4, 1919 1,972,591 Hnath Sept. 4, 1934 1,997,796 Jay Apr. 16, 1935 2,253,793 Leimer Aug. 26, 1941 2,489,647 Kessel Nov. 29, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 316,117 Italy 0f.1934 389,104 Germany of1924 

